Longzang

Chapter 892 "My Three Thousand Years in the Dao Foundation"

"You are the Whip of the North?"

The Liao man frowned and looked towards the source of the clear voice, whereupon he saw a cultivator in a blue robe seated on the high steps of the main hall. The cultivator sat casually, yet the Whip of the Northern Border sensed a profound connection to the universe, as if he were born to be this way. He was the very essence of heaven and earth.

The Liao man struggled to sit up and said, "I, Hulegao En..."

The cultivator in the blue robe said calmly, "I'm not interested in your name; knowing who you are is enough. Have you ever possessed any treasures?"

"Treasure? Do I look like I have any treasure on me right now? Even if I did, you would have taken it long ago, wouldn't you?"

The cultivator in the green robe said, "I'm asking you what treasures you've ever owned. Anything you've even touched counts."

The Liao man narrowed his eyes and said, "Why should I tell you? Now that I'm in your hands, you can do whatever you want with me! From the day I fell into the hands of the Wu tribe, I never intended to go back alive!"

The monk in blue raised an eyebrow slightly: "Do I look like a member of the Witch Clan to you?"

The Liao man sneered, "I know you are human, but to me, the Wu tribe and the human are the same. We can't live anyway. You might as well die with some dignity."

The monk in the blue robe closed the book beside him and said, "Fine, then go die."

Two monks entered, mentioned Hulegaoen, and then walked out.

"Wait a minute!" Hulegaon shouted, then stared at the blue-robed cultivator and said, "Since you know I am the Whip of the Northern Border, then you should know who I am! Among the thousands of cultivators in the Northern Border of the Great Liao, how many can refuse the grace of an immortal? Why don't you ask me what skills I possess, but only what treasures I have used?! Is my extraordinary ability less valuable than that of a mere inanimate object?"

The monk in blue didn't even lift his eyelids, and said indifferently, "What you are like is not important."

Hulegaon felt a surge of energy rush to the top of his head, as if he were about to explode. He shouted, "I'm not afraid of death! I just don't want to die like this, without knowing why! Just answer my last question, and I'll answer it!"

The blue-robed cultivator's gaze finally fell on him, and he frowned slightly, saying, "Your attitude has changed rather quickly."

"That's only because of you..." Hulegaoen realized something was wrong as soon as he said it.

Under the bright gaze of the blue-robed cultivator, he found it difficult to control his emotions and was determined to prove something.

Upon closer inspection, the blue-robed cultivator was neither particularly handsome nor unattractive; he was simply exceptionally clear, pure, and bright, like a beam of light—a sword light.

Hulegaon suddenly gasped for breath, finally understanding why he had lost his composure. The realm he had pursued all his life was now clearly before him!

The cultivator in blue robes did not ask any further questions, but said, "The treasures you handled are related to Yuan'er's path to enlightenment, so I naturally want to know the details. As for you, no matter what skills you possess or whether you have received any divine favors, you will not stand in my way to hinder my path to enlightenment, so I will not care."

Even though Hulegaon was fluent in spoken language, he still had to think for a moment to understand the meaning of this sentence.

The moment he understood, another surge of anger rushed to the top of his head, then exploded into a roar: "Are you saying I'm not even qualified to be your stepping stone?!"

The blue-robed cultivator's eyes remained completely unmoved, not even a hint of agreement, treating him merely as the sound of wind, rain, or background noise.

The Whip of the Northern Border was truly indignant and wanted to roar again, but when the blue-robed cultivator slightly raised his eyelids, he immediately stopped talking, wanting to hear what he had to say.

The cultivator in blue seemed to be pondering something, and after a moment he came to his senses and said, "Then I'll give you a chance to prove yourself. I'll give you three days to recover from your injuries, and then we'll have a fair duel. If you can fight back, I'll consider it a loss."

Hulegaon looked at the blue-robed cultivator, then suddenly widened his eyes and exclaimed, "You, your cultivation is..."

"Daoji, what's wrong?"

"I am at the late stage of the Dharma Aspect realm!"

The monk in blue robes said calmly, "I know."

Before Hulegaoen could speak, he waved his hand, and the two cultivators dragged Hulegaoen away.

Three days later, at the Great Parade Ground, the wind was howling.

Hulegaon had fully recovered from his injuries and arrived at the center of the training ground early. He stood still like a pine tree, waiting patiently, while adjusting his mind and body to their best.

Besides the guarding cultivators, other cultivators gradually arrived to watch the battle. The female cultivators present were all exceptionally beautiful, which was already remarkable. But what truly astounded Hule Gaoen was their unfathomable, mysterious, and enigmatic auras, making him feel as if he were walking on thin ice, as if facing an abyss!
Several more male cultivators entered afterward. Apart from two who were unbelievably handsome, the rest made Hulegaoen inexplicably nervous. He looked at them one by one, and surprisingly, he dared not say that victory was certain for any of them!
At this moment, Hulegaoen suddenly felt that his previous arrogance was a joke! How could such a remote little place gather so many geniuses? With so many Dharma Aspects in the arena, could he really be only of average or below-average quality?

At this moment, a strange thought surfaced: what if I'm at the bottom...?

Hulegaoen shook his head vigorously, refusing to accept this absurd idea.

The appointed time had arrived, but the cultivator in blue robes had not yet appeared.

Hulegaon grew increasingly impatient, but the blue-robed cultivator still hadn't appeared. It wasn't until the time it takes to drink a cup of tea that the blue-robed cultivator finally arrived. Upon arrival, the blue-robed cultivator asked, "Shall we begin?"

Hulegaon originally wanted to say, "Trying to undermine my Dao heart in this way is rather low-class," but he immediately remembered that the other party was only a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and he was bullying the weak. So he swallowed his words and nodded, saying calmly, "Let's begin."

Only after uttering those words did he realize that he had been subconsciously mimicking the other person's way of speaking and acting.

As the duel began, the blue-robed cultivator stood motionless with his hands behind his back, while the sky was filled with sword light! Hundreds of immortal swords roared down, instantly forming a sword tomb in the center of the training ground! And Hulegaon was buried in the center of the sword tomb.

Before his consciousness faded, Hulegaon had only one thought left: So, this is what a sword cultivator is like...

The cultivators from Taichu Palace who were present had thought that with the formidable reputation of the "Northern Whip," they would at least put up a fight, but they were utterly powerless to resist. Now, who knows how long they will have to wait before someone can finally put an end to that blue-robed fellow's arrogance.

The immortal sword dissipated, and the green-robed cultivator had already drifted away. The cultivators of Taichu Palace looked at the unconscious Northern Whip, sighing and shaking their heads, angry at his lack of resolve.

Xiao Yu watched the sword fight but gained nothing, so she had to return to Yong'an City to continue her official duties.

Upon entering the city lord's mansion, he suddenly sensed that something was amiss, and Shaoyang Xingjun suddenly fell silent.

Xiao Yu sensed something was amiss and wanted to leave, but a familiar, clear, and cold voice came from the main hall: "Everyone is here, we're just waiting for you."

Xiao Yu braced herself and walked into the main hall. Zhang Sheng, dressed in blue, sat at the head of the table, with Feng Chutang, Bao Yun, Ji Liuli, Feng Tingyu, and Cui Yu on either side.

Seeing the commotion, Xiaoyu found a seat on the side and sat down.

Seeing that all the cultivators had arrived, Zhang Sheng said, "Ever since Wei Yuan fell into the witch clan's trap, I've noticed that everyone's morale has been low, and you all seem rather dejected. This can't go on."

I have decided to muster the troops in seven days, and the army will set out on the expedition seven days later!

I will lead one army, and you will each lead another, advancing in a coordinated attack. This battle is to show the world that even without Wei Yuan, Qingming is still invincible.

Feng Chutang then asked, "Who are you hitting?"

"Everyone can decide for themselves; beat up whoever you don't like."

Bao Yun asked, "How many soldiers will you bring?"

After a moment's thought, Zhang Sheng said, "Twenty thousand each, you can allocate them as you see fit."

Feng Tingyu asked, "And what about you?"

Zhang Sheng said calmly, "Ten thousand is enough for me."

None of the cultivators spoke. Xiao Yu was somewhat bewildered, pondering Zhang Sheng's intentions, when Shao Yang Xingjun spoke in her mind: "Don't you understand? This is a different kind of battle! We must take advantage of Wei Yuan's absence and quickly determine who is superior!"

Xiaoyu suddenly felt a little guilty and said, "Like this?! I... I won't be at the bottom, will I??"

Lord Shaoyang remained calm and said in a deep voice, "What are you afraid of! This is what a family is for! Don't be shy about asking for help! It's only embarrassing if you end up at the bottom!"

For the first time in her life, Xiaoyu felt so justified in asking her family for money.

……

Hulegaon slowly awoke to find himself in a dungeon, his magical power riddled with holes, his body filled with sword energy, and he was weaker than an ordinary person.

The jailer entered the cell, put down his pen and paper, and said, "You've been instructed to list all the treasures you've handled, regardless of size or value. Once you've recovered your magical power, you also need to leave behind the aura of those treasures."

Hulegaon smiled wryly and said, "I am willing to accept defeat. I will speak frankly and without reservation."

The jailer said, "It's best if you can figure it out yourself. A wise person knows when to yield. Take your time writing, and call me if you need anything."

"Wait a minute!" Hulegaon hurriedly stopped the jailer and asked, "Who exactly is that blue-robed cultivator who defeated me? How could such a person exist in this world?"

The jailer gloated, "That's our realm lord's teacher. You dare to fight him? You must think your Dao heart isn't shattered enough!"

"Is that so? Then it seems I didn't lose unjustly." Hulegaoen slowly sat down.

Just as the jailer was about to leave, Hulegaon called out from behind, "Wait a minute!"

"What is it now?" the jailer asked impatiently.

Hulegaon asked, "How long are you going to keep me locked up?"

"How would I know? Just stay put! Or how about this, don't cause me any trouble during this time, and I'll give you something to pass the time. You were defeated by his sword, so your Dao heart must be like a beehive now, not suitable for cultivation. It's best to treat yourself as an ordinary person first and slowly restore your normal mind."

Hulegaon was greatly surprised, never expecting that a mere jailer would have such insight.

But upon further reflection, he realized that the person sent to guard him couldn't be an ordinary person. Moreover, they were so brazen in and out of the cell, showing no fear of him suddenly turning on them. This person was clearly someone who was hiding their true abilities.

The jailer pulled a storybook from his waistband and tossed it to Hulegaon, saying, "This is the latest storybook, it's very popular. Take your time reading it. I'll give you the sequel when you're done."

Hulegaon took the storybook, unfolded it, and saw a line of large characters on the cover: "I have been in the Dao Foundation for three thousand years".

(End of this chapter)